Faith-Based Social Initiatives

Faith-based social initiatives are forms of social and community support that religious institutions such as mosques, churches, and synagogues provide to help solve social problems. For some, religious institutions are a main source of support and guidance. This support can include building and funding elementary schools, providing health care, sponsoring local neighborhood watch programs, operating soup kitchens, providing clothing for the needy, and building low-income housing and neighborhood renewal.

For quite some time, religious and community leaders and politicians alike have argued for more governmental support for their programs because of the impact they have on their communities. Indeed, when most people think of faith-based social initiatives, they think of the fairly recent federal programs that allow churches and other religious institutions to seek funding to support their charities and community works. These programs encourage faith-based institutions to apply for and receive federal funds from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor and the U.S. Agency for International Development, in addition to any funding from state and local sources.

These programs evolved after January 29, 2001, when President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13199, establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. This office, under the executive branch of the federal government, oversees the government's efforts in encouraging both religious and community-based institutions to supply social services as well as provide financial and even, in some cases, technical support for social service programs. Another function of this office is to ensure that policy developed is in accordance with administrative goals that encourage charity and community action and identify and replicate successful community service programs.